Rescue Electrical Conduction of Heart Scar Tissue to Diminish Cardiac Arrhythmia

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Heart attacks and heart failure are the main causes of disability and death around the worldand in Canada. After a heart attack, the death of muscle cells causes a scar to form in theheart. This scar stops the normal path of electrical signals that allows the heart to beat in acoordinated fashion to efficiently eject blood from the heart. In addition, the disrupted signalscan induce extra inefficient heart beats (arrhythmia). Patients with abnormal conduction orarrhythmias often need a pacemaker, but electrical stimulation of the heart from thepacemaker disrupts the normal beating sequence and induces dysfunction of the heart. Bothheart attack and the electrical stimulation result in abnormal signal conduction in the heart.We will create new conductive biomaterials which will repair the heart and properly conductelectrical signals across the scar following a heart attack. The new materials will enhance thetransmission of electrical signals that control the pumping of the heart. The goal is to restorethe normal pattern of coordinated heart contraction for heart diseases described above. Onebiomaterial is a gel that will be injected into the scar tissue to improve the electrical signalingpropagation of the heart. The second biomaterial is a membrane which will be applied to thesurface of the damaged heart. Our new materials are unique because they will facilitateelectrical conduction and keep the heart beating synchronously. We will measure how wellthe gel and the membrane conduct electrical signals and how well they coordinate the heartbeats.Our aim is to provide a new treatment for cardiac patients that will be more effective thancurrent therapies. This new approach could allow patients to return to their normal lifestyleand remain active without the need of a pacemaker. The overall impact of our proposedresearch is to improve the quality of life for patients, and reduce the burden of heart diseasefor both patients and the healthcare system.